Why not use coatings?

[zx10r Elle]

Mr. andy2485,

There has been no evidence of prices decreasing regarding paint coatings, in fact it seems to me without performing due research that the average price for coatings has increased.

The retirement of Opti-Coat 2.0 saw I believe an approximate 200% increase in price by its successor Gloss-Coat. We also now have Wolfgang Uber Ceramic, CG Carbon Flex C9 and CG Second Skin, as well as Crystal Serum Light recently the ones I can readily recall at the moment, and none of them are lower priced than previous versions, if they had any. And the previous generation ( Black Label, cQuartz, Exo, DP, etc.) are holding strong in their price vectors.

Of course, they are all protecting longer and becoming easier to apply which of course allows access to new markets thereby increasing their value.

Its my opinion we're witnessing the 'wave crest' of development where refined products will replace aging ones, such is the way of R&D. The literature states Crystal Serum Light to provide 3-5 years of protection, to me thats a ridiculous lifespan to expect from a 'consumer grade' product, most others max out at 3 years and thats impressive in its own right.

If there are lower priced coatings introduced into the marketplace they'll most likely be inferior products designed with the intent to leverage the ( and forgive my debasement of the thread ), W-Mart shoppers and probably not from reputable companies who stand behind their products.


Steve

[Mike@ShineStruck]

It wasn't really the price for me..but the fact that I don't know what to expect application/setup wise
So I'll be heading to junkyard to find me a nice panel to do my first attempt...will be comparing other coatings too
This will be the perfect time to get a real review on product installation ease and variance of different brands...
I'll be comparing 4 to 6 coatings so look forward to a review in a couple months

[Audios S6]

It wasn't really the price for me..but the fact that I don't know what to expect application/setup wise
So I'll be heading to junkyard to find me a nice panel to do my first attempt...will be comparing other coatings too
This will be the perfect time to get a real review on product installation ease and variance of different brands...
I'll be comparing 4 to 6 coatings so look forward to a review in a couple months

I'm not suggesting your application experience won't be valid, but coating one portion of a panel is much different than coating an entire car. There are many factors that won't crop up until you are working a larger area: application and towel saturation, sectioning a panel, tight spots, etc.

Back in topic: application, time, cost, skill, downtime, work space.

One that I think rarely gets mentioned: using a topper like Reload gets you 90% of the performance of CQUK, IMO.

[LaFawnduh]

Everyone's situation is different. Our cars are coated out of convenience. Cost is not a concern of mine, time is the biggest concern for me.

Her new Subaru has very soft paint. Adding a coating gave us a little more protection against swirls and the dirt/grime comes off so easy. The less I have to touch the paint the better.

I have been doing rinseless washes almost exclusively for 2 years. For me it works out, for others it won't.

Coatings can be harder to use (learning curve). But some like WG Uber are as easy as applying a sealant.

I used to really enjoy waxing my car, that was my therapy to relax. But now that I have twin boys they are my therapy to relax, so time I used to spend with the car is now doing stuff with the kids. I appreciate the time savings the coating has provided me.

I figure every 18-20 months I will polish off the remaining coating and reapply.

Wait - twin boys help you relax? We must have very different children...

[JSFM35x]

If you can wax you can coat. You just need to be diciplined and watch a video or be shown. It's so easy Jeff can do it.

[PiPUK]

There is also that matter that some traditional products get very close to coatings. We can get a year out of our hybrid wax. It can be applied to almost anything, no fancy prep, no cure, put it on with a da if you want. Easy to top up with exactly the same material (sorry, your coating toppers will almost certainly be a different chemical). We sell a lot because users realise that this is easier and cheaper than some of the competing coatings which really give very little performance gain.

Coatings need to up the game at the low end.

[Chris Thomas]

People used to lay down a sealant before a wax to add more durability as a combination. Now the sealant can be replaced with a durable and chemical resistant coating and still topped with a wax or instant detailer for that fresh look and satisfaction you get from maintaining your car. Just don't get too caught up in the expensive waxes and toppers, because due to the nature of coatings, most toppers won't stick past a month or so.

[parshooter]

I enjoy using AIO's,Finishing Polishes,Waxes and Sealants as I can't not be doing something to my personal cars once they've been corrected. If I coat I'll get bored and it will be removed in a matter of weeks anyways. Were I to coat my personal cars I'll be alot richer as I won't be trying new compounds,polishes,lsp's etc. Waxing is my therapy.